Update — May 18th, 2026 Dear Gentle Garden Enthusiasts, Today in the Secret Garden saga: compost, community, and one very interesting garden creature. First, the good stuff! My husband and I are almost finished with the compost area, and honestly, it’s starting to look pretty amazing. While we were working, one of the garden families stopped by — an older resident who has had hip surgery and hasn’t been able to tend her plot much lately. Thankfully, her son and daughter came to help today, and we let her know the rest of us gardeners are happy to lend a hand whenever needed. That part genuinely made my day. The best thing so far about this little garden adventure has been seeing neighbors slowly come together again. There’s something really special about people showing up, getting dirt under their nails, and helping bring life back into the space. I’ll be posting progress pictures of the compost area and some of the cleanup work because everyone involved deserves a little applause. Now… onto today’s “light garden tea.” As some of you know, every garden has pests. Sometimes aphids. Sometimes slugs. And occasionally… human varieties. On my way back to take photos, I ran into a certain apartment resident. She is known as the one who feels she can have whatever she wants because she pays rent and has stolen many things from the garden, but is unable to prove it. Needless to say, the apartment management has issues with her. For storytelling purposes, we shall call her Foxy Loxy. Foxy Loxy greeted me with the energy of someone announcing the start of the Olympics: “THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR WORKING ON OUR GARDEN! I’D HELP, BUT I JUST DON’T HAVE TIME!” Aka, she never helped. I smiled politely and entered survival mode. She then launched into a dramatic monologue about past garden experiences while also casually helping herself to dirt from someone’s private plot. I explained that we’re working on organizing the garden better, creating clear rules, labeling plots, and making things easier for everyone moving forward.

@Megan Webb indeed lol and yes we have I am so amazed at everyone's work.

Happy Mothers day!